Using Pinterest in Undergraduate Social Work Education

Using Pinterest in Undergraduate Social Work Education: Assignment Development and

EvaluationLisa Baker, PhD, MSW &

Laurel Iverson Hitchcock, PhD, MPH, MSW University of Alabama at Birmingham

Objectives for Presentation 1. Explore the use of Pinterest as a teaching tool in

undergraduate courses, following an evidence-based model of assignment development, implementation and evaluation.

2. Become aware of the context in which students complete social media assignments and the role social media plays in helping students develop professional self.

3. Discuss caveats to developing social media assignments and learn how such assignments help develop practice competencies.

Why Social Media in Social Work Education?

• Lifelong Learning

• Theory of Connected Learning

• Personalized Learning Network

Pinterest• Social

Bookmarking

• Create Pins & Boards

• Sharing Boards & Commenting on Pins

The Assignment• Human Behavior & Social Environment Course

Sequence (HBSE I & HBSE II) • Boards & Pins for each learning unit

• Types of Pins– Information/Education– Advocacy/Support– Practice Resource

• Self-Reflection

• Tutorials

Competency-based Rubric

Assignment Rubric Meta Rubric

Pilot Assessment

• Mixed-Method Survey (23 questions)

• IRB Approved • SPSS for quantitative items &

content analysis for open-ended questions

• N = 21

ResultsQuantitative

• 71.4% had personal Pinterest Account prior to assignment

• 29% were uncomfortable with Pinterest prior to the assignment

• No student reported technology issues related to the assignment

• Most used a laptop or smart phone to complete the assignment

Qualitative Themes• Student perception

of assignment

• Connected Learning

• Use of Pinterest as a Professional Tool

Discussion• Students are familiar with social media & digital devices, but not

as professional tools

• Completing a social media assignment increasing understanding of and appreciation for social media in professional practice

• Students are able to engage with course content in new ways

• Social Media can promote lifelong learning in social work students

• Limitations: Small study with convenience sample

• Next Steps: Larger study with more students over several semesters

Logistics for Social Media Assignments• Set-up Account/Platform

– Type of Account, Privacy Settings, Course Related information

• Frequency of Posts

• Substance of Posts

• Archiving/Tracking 

• Assessment or Grading 

Questions?

Contact Information:

Laurel Iverson Hitchcock, PhD, MSWlihitch@uab.edu205.934.8673

Information from this presentation can be found at: http://goo.gl/RXbUIz

Teaching & Learning in Social Work Blog